MEGILAH 26 (10 Av) - Dedicated by Rabbi Dr. Eli Turkel of Ra'anana, Israel, in memory of his father, Reb Yisrael Shimon ben Shlomo ha'Levi Turkel. Isi Turkel, as he was known, loved Torah and worked to support it literally with his last ounce of strength. He passed away on 10 Av 5740.

12th CYCLE DEDICATION:

MEGILAH 26 - Dedicated l'Iluy Nishmas HaRav Ze'ev Wolf Rosengarten of Zurich, Switzerland, a person of "Sheleimus" in every way, who passed away on 14 Adar 5760. Dedicated in honor of his Yahrzeit by his nephew and Talmid, Eli Rosengarten of Zurich.

SUMMARY

1. The Mishnah discusses what one may purchase with the proceeds of a sale of various types of holy objects.

2. There is a dispute about whether the main street of a town has holiness.

3. The Gemara differentiates between a privately-owned synagogue and a publicly-owned one.

4. The Gemara says that even a publicly-owned synagogue may sometimes be sold.

5. A person should leave a present for his host.

A BIT MORE

1. One may purchase only items that are holier than the item sold (as we only ascend in holiness and do not descend).

2. While the Mishnah says that it does have holiness because the people of the city gather to pray there on fast days, the Gemara quotes the Chachamim who say that it does not have any holiness.

3. A privately-owned synagogue may be sold, as long as the rules in the Mishnah (and Gemara later) are followed. A publicly-owned synagogue may not be sold, since it is owned by the public (including people outside the city who donated money towards building it, and therefore it is not possible to gather together all of the owners in order to receive their consent to sell it).

4. If the project to raise funds for the synagogue is under the auspices of a certain person, such as the town rabbi, then the synagogue may be sold. This is because everyone who donates money does so knowing that the rabbi is in charge of what happens to the synagogue.

5. This was the expected payment (that could even be taken by force) for homeowners in Yerushalayim who were required to let people stay at their homes during the festivals.